Container



H. J. BURTON Dec. 17, 1957 CONTAINER Filed Aug. 1'7, 1955 INVENTOR, lbward J." Burtofl n ATT R EY United States Patent CUNTAINER Howard J. Burton, New Orleans, La., assignor to Crescent Paper Box Factory, 111e,, New Orleans, 1.21., a corporation of Louisiana Application August 17, 1955, Serial No. 528,922

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-41) The present invention relates to a container and more particularly to a holder for cigars which is adapted to be carried in a pocket so that the cigars will be readily available.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel pocket cigar holder in which the bottom of the holder is locked in closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel pocket cigar holder in which the cigars are resiliently biased toward the front of the holder to prevent them from tumbling when one or more of the cigars originally packaged have been removed.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel pocket cigar holder in which the lower portion of the holder is braced to reduce the tendency of the holder to become crushed when carried in a pocket.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a container constituting a cigar holder in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the cigar holder shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the cigar holder shown in Figs. 1-3 can be constructed.

Referring to Fig. 4, the container of the invention is constructed from a cardboard blank indicated generically by the numeral 10. While the utilization of cardboard is preferred, it is obvious that many other similar materials may be employed.

The blank is constituted by a front panel 11 and rear panel 12, there being side panels 13 and a side panel 14 which is secured to one of the side panels 13 at the shaded portion thereof, this shaded portion being indicative of the presence of an adhesive. The rear panel 12 is provided with an upper top closing flap 15 provided with ears 16. The lower portion of the front panel 11 is provided with a downwardly extending bottom closing flap indicated generally by the numeral 17, the bottom closing flap 17 being constituted by a bottom panel 18 and extension panels 19, 20 and 21.

The panel 20 is provided with sidewardly extending ears 22. In addition, the front panel 11 may be provided with an aperture 23 and the rear panel 12 is provided with a slit 24 defining a biasing fiap 25. Scoring may be employed if desired, and the top closing flap 15 is preferably provided with a score line 27 to facilitate closing thereof after the cigars have been inserted in the holder.

The various fold lines are indicated in Fig. 4 by dot and dash lines and particular attention is directed to the fold line 26 on the bottom closing flap 17, the function of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 1, the pocket cigar holder of the invention is shown in assembled condition, the side securing panel 14 having been adhesively secured to the side panel 13 and the bottom closing flap 17 having been folded into the container. It will be observed that the bottom closingflap 17ispositiouedtotherearofthebiasingflap25.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the extension panel 20 has been pulled upwardly, as for example, by grasping the panels 20 and 21 so that the fold line 26 is uppermost to thereby pull the panel 20 with its side- Wardly extending ears 22 through the opening formed in the rear panel 12 when the biasing flap 25 is pressed inwardly. When the panels 20 and 21 are released, the bottom closing flap 17 moves downwardly until the ears 22 contact the bottom of the side edges of the slit 24 which is provided in the rear panel 12.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, the arrangement of the panels 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the bottom closing flap 17 is clearly apparent and it will be observed that the panel 21 biases the biasing flap 25 inwardly due to the natural resilience of the material constituting the cigar holder about the fold 26. i

It is desired to point out that the panels 20 and 21 and the fold 26 provide the rear panel 12 with transverse rigidity. Additionally, the biasing flap 25 presses against the cigars which are placed in the cigar holder. Thus, when one or more of the cigars originally packaged in the cigar holder of the invention are removed, the remaining cigars are held in position by the biasing flap 25.

In use, cigars are packaged in the holder of the inven tion which may then be inserted in a transparent cover for display. When the holder with the enclosed cigars is purchased and the transparent protective covering removed, the holder may be inserted in a pocket and the cigars withdrawn as desired. It will also be observed that when the transparent wrapper or covering is removed, the bottom closing flap 17 is locked in place so that the cigars within the holder remain therewithin. Further, the biasing flap 25 reduces the danger that cigars within the holder will fall therefrom when the holder is tilted, as may occur when the holder is placed in a breast pocket and the person carrying the holder bends over.

I claim:

1. In a container, at front panel and a rear panel, a side panel connecting one side of the front panel to a side of the rear panel, a side panel on the other side of the said front panel secured to a side panel on the other side of the rear panel, a closing flap on the upper end of said rear panel, a closing flap on the lower end of said front panel and said last named closing flap including a bottom panel and a plurality of extension panels, ears extending outwardly from the ends of one of said extension panels, there being an aperture in said front panel, said rear panel being provided with a U-shaped slit defining a biasing flap, said ears engaging said slit and one of said extension panels engaging said biasing flap.

2. In a container, a front panel and a rear panel, a side panel connecting one side of the front panel to a side of the rear panel, a side panel on the other side of the said front panel secured to a side panel on the other side of the rear panel, a closing flap on the upper end of said rear panel, a closing flap on the lower end of said front panel and said last named closing flap including a bottom panel and a plurality of extension panels, ears ex-- tending outwardly from the ends of one of said extension panels, there being an aperture in said front panel, said rear panel being provided with a U-shaped slit defining a biasing flap, said ears engaging said slit and one of said extension panels engaging said biasing flap, said biasing flap being urged inwardly into the container by said extension panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,512 Tanner Sept. 3, 1931 1,824,491 Molins Sept. 22, 1931 1,875,196 Molins Aug. 30, 1932 

